Mauger already a success say Leicester

Leicester’s head of rugby Richard Cockerill said in his column in the Leicester Mercury that now the coaching decision had been successful it was a case of seeing the team succeed.

“It is nice to see us improving in most things we do week on week so far this season,” Cockerill said.

“We knew the quality of Aaron both as a player and as a person. This is his first opportunity to be a head coach and he has taken it well and with lots of enthusiasm.”

Cockerill said that while Mauger was influencing how the side wanted to play, Cockerill’s job was to ensure the Leicester style and culture was maintained to ensure the success and consistency of the past linked to the future.

“We have won first of our opening six games in the Premiership and Europe, but we all know just how long a season this will be.

“Everyone’s enthusiastic after six games. We need to make sure they feel the same way after 16, and then 26, games,” he said.

“We have got to try to keep that same mentality throughout the club and I have learned lots of ways – some through bitter experience – of doing that.

“Aaron’s got a lot of experience of coaching in the southern hemisphere in different environments and, between us, we are a good balance. We test each other, we work well with each other and, crucially, we question each other too,” he said.

Cockerill added that while their respective skill-sets were different that was perfect for what they bring into the club and it all fitted well.

Leicester face their next big Test on Sunday (UK time) when playing Bath, in Leicester.